RWBY: The Apex Program
by Shadowsouls0
Summary: Officially speaking, the Apex Program doesn't exist. There are no records of it, no witnesses to it, nothing. The only thing left is what it made: The Apexes themselves. Thing is... you won't SEE the apex. You won't hear it. You'll never be able to tell an apex apart from a normal human. If you get on one's bad side, don't bother running. You're already dead.
1. The Normal Life of an Abnormal Girl

**(a/n- Trying something a bit different in this one... it should become apparent what that is rather** **quickly.) **

Take a snapshot of the day.

You see the familiar city of Vale, you see people walking around as they always are. A woman pushing a baby here, a faunus birdwatching there, a man in a suit with a briefcase next to them. Countless people doing everyday things, going about their lives. That's how a civilian would look at it, anyway. A huntsman would see people that need to be protected, civilians in danger from the grimm that lurk just outside the kingdom's walls. Change the filter, don't look like a civilian.

Take another look, this time as an Apex.

You see countless people, and you analyze the threat. You see the faunus birdwatcher as scanning their surroundings, eyes quick and alert. You see the man in the suit walking calmly, with purpose, you see his finger moving towards the case, can sense the gun hidden within, meant to fire at a target inconspicuously. You see the woman pushing the stroller as nervous, alert, see the gun tucked away in her bra, the end of the barrel melding almost perfectly with her hair. You see the baby is realistic, but it's still distinguishable as a doll. You can see the faint white powder on the baby's ear, just behind it. A smuggler. Yet not a single one of them can see you. There's nothing on you that gives you away, you look completely normal.

And that's _exactly_ what makes the Apex so terrifying.

…

"_Yang, I need you to listen to me._"

A young, brown-haired girl fell to the ground. She slowly stood, her bare body half-covered in mud. She looked back, seeing the white wall of the old building right behind her. She ducked down as she saw a man walking along the watchtower, eyes gazing bored both inside and out. The girl rolled over, rolling around in the mud to disguise her pale skin in the darkness. She started crawling forward, biting back her rage at her hair getting so messy. She crawled through the mud, stopping at the nearby fence.

"_Mommy!? What's going on!? Where are you going!?_"

She turned, starting to crawl along the perimeter until she found it. It was a small hole beneath the fence, one dug by years of the earth beneath it eroding away (with a _little_ help from her of course). She pulled back, her body like a snake as she crawled beneath, the wire scratching at her exposed shoulders. She pulled herself beneath, arms clawing at the loose dirt above her and pulling her out. She laid her head down, that instinctive feeling that someone was watching her hitting her. She heard the footsteps above her, felt the guard's eyes move off her back as she started slowly crawling towards the treeline again.

"_There's no time, just listen. You're going to be taken from me. They'll do bad things to you, you're going to be hurt, you're going to be changed, but you'll survive. You'll get out. When you do, there's an old road leading north. Follow it until it ends. Look for the silver eyed woman._"

The second the girl cleared the treeline, she stood and ran. Her heart pounded, her legs carrying her over the brambles, past the roots, and over a small creek. By the time one of the guards had noticed the clothing tied together to make a rope thrown out the window, she was already on the old road her mother had mentioned. The girl ran fast, faster than she ever had before. Her feet pounded along the dirt, her mind filled with premonitions of her getting caught, taken back into that horrible place.

"_Mommy where are you going! Mommy, let me out! MOMMY!_"

"_It's okay Yang… I promise, one day you'll understand._"

…

"GAH!"

Yang shouted, shooting up from her bed. Her breathing was staggering and heavy, her heart racing as she looked around. She saw the same old messy bedroom she always did. Same posters of boy bands, same huntress magazines, same _everything_. Nothing had changed since she'd gone to sleep. She looked down, patting down her shirt. It was hers alright. It was no strange patient gown, it was simply her orange pajama shirt, the same one she always wore.

"Yang? Are you okay?" Yang looked up, smiling as she saw the familiar white cloak. Beneath it she saw the bright silver eyes gazing down at her, a pale hand resting on her shoulder. She nodded, "I'm fine mom. Just a nightmare." it was true. At least, as far as she knew. Just another nightmare… just another nightmare. Summer didn't look convinced but nodded regardless. She knew that Yang didn't particularly like disguising her nightmares. _Especially_ ones that made her get up and scream. "Well, when you're ready come down for breakfast. It's your favorite~" she immediately shut the door, disappearing down the stairs in a flash of white petals.

Yang, in the meantime, slowly stood, running her hands through her hair. She smiled as she pulled it back into a ponytail, grabbing a band from nearby. At least _that_ felt normal. Something that had practically never changed. She stepped outside, making her way down the stairs as she always did. "YAAAAAANG!" she staggered forward, catching herself on the railing as she felt the pressure hit her back. She turned her head, glaring at the younger girl. Though, that glare was rather offset by the small smile on her face. She reached back, tugging the girl's hood down to her chin. "Don't startle me like that Rubes! You could've knocked us both down the stairs." she said, only half-joking.

Ruby pulled the hood up, pouting at Yang as she guided them down the stairs. Ruby jumped off, the shorter girl disappearing in a blur of red petals into the kitchen. For Summer, it was like a magic trick. One second there was no one behind her. She turned around to continue making breakfast, turned back around to grab a plate, and suddenly both her daughters were sitting there, utensils in hand. She sighed, "Give me a _minute_ girls, it's almost readyYYYYY!" she shouted, suddenly lifted off the ground.

She turned, giggling slightly as she saw none other than Qrow Branwen hoisting her up off the ground. She felt him turn her around, carrying her over his shoulder as she pounded his back. "Qrooow! Let go of me hehehee… n-no! DON'T YOU DARE!" she shouted, feeling Qrow's other hand lightly brushing against her belly. Yang and Ruby had to hide their laughter. They knew well enough their mother was very, _very_ ticklish. Qrow knew it too. He smirked, "Why shouldn't I eh short stack?" he asked, brushing her belly again. Summer's lips quivered in a sort of half-smile. She was trying _very_ hard not to laugh.

"Tickle me, and I can't fix breakfast. For _anyone_." she said, giving a faint smirk towards her daughters. Both of their eyes widened, Qrow turning around. He set Summer down, the woman staggering over to the oven. Meanwhile, Qrow sat down, smiling at the two. "Hey, Dad." Ruby and Yang said, smiling at the older huntsman. Qrow leaned back, ruffling Ruby's hair as a wider smile graced his lips. "How're my favorite girls in the world doing huh?" of course, the second he _said_ that Summer immediately turned, pouting at him in a way that explained quite a bit about her daughter. Qrow looked over, smirking at her, "What? Think I was _just_ talking about them?" he gestured to the two. Ruby leaned forward, lightly biting his finger to get him to pull back. Yang, on the other hand, simply shoved his hand aside.

Then, it happened.

Yang's eyes widened, everything suddenly clearer. She could smell the slight burn of pancake batter against the stove burner. She could feel Ruby's phone vibrating through her bare feet on the floor, hear her mother's feet sliding against it as she moved. She felt a whisper of air flowing over her face, the hairs on her arms picking up the current her mother was making with the heat. She could hear the feet stepping on the concrete… she recognized them. "Uncle Tai's here, and you're getting a phone call Ruby." she said, her face and voice both blank. She could hear the twisting of muscles as Ruby and Qrow turned, looking at each other for a few seconds. She had to avoid not flinching as her ears rattled, the lightly knocking on the door _pounding_ inside her skull.

Just like that, it was over.

Yang stood, her senses reverting to normal as she walked towards the door. Ruby, meanwhile, dashed past her, knowing to trust her sister's strange intuition about everything. She pulled open the door, raising an eyebrow as she saw no one there. She _knew_ she heard Tai knocking, and could've _sworn_ that it was the sound of his footsteps. She stepped out, "Uncle -MMPH!" Yang was pulled into a headlock, two strong arms pulled around her. She looked up, lilac eyes meeting ones of the same color as she glared. Taiyang smirked at her, hoisting her up off her feet. Yang smirked right back beneath his arm.

"OW!" Tai let go as Yang kicked his legs nearly out from under him, setting her feet on the ground before reaching back. She used Tai's momentum against him, slamming him onto the nearby couch. He looked up, a small smile on his face as Yang smirked down at him. "Guess the Sunny Little Dragon isn't a dragon for nothing huh?" Yang slowly shook her head, walking around him and back towards the kitchen. Qrow and Summer walked in, smiling as they saw Tai standing. He was clad in civilian clothes for a change (which was really just his normal outfit minus the glove and metal shoulder piece), wearing his cargo shorts and vest.

"UNCLE TAAAAIII!" he sighed as he heard the high voice and -having _just_ stood up- was knocked down again by a blur of red rose petals. He looked up, seeing Ruby wrapping her arms around him. She sat up, "Where have you been!? Did you come for breakfast!? What have you been doing!? Did you miss me!? Did you miss me!?" Ruby's questions came a mile a minute, but thankfully literally _everyone_ there was used to it by now. Tai just chuckled, slowly standing up as Ruby migrated to hanging off his arm, still smiling at him. "How couldn't I miss our adorable little strawberry?" he said, ruffling her hair with his other hand.

Ruby rubbed against his hand, smiling at the feeling. She always did enjoy that, the same way her mother did. Yang, meanwhile, walked towards the door, leaning to the ground. "Zwei, I know you're there. Come on in!" she said, holding out her arms. Of course, the second she said that she heard the barking, the little corgi dashing up the steps and into the waiting Yang's arms. She stood, shutting the door back before turning, the adorable girl seemingly magnetized to the adorable dog. Yang let Ruby take him, walking back to the living room and sitting in the chair across from the couch, Tai taking the other while Qrow took the couch itself.

"How've you been ya dusty old Qrow?" Tai asked, smirking at Qrow's sigh, Yang unable to stop herself from giggling. He _really_ hated that nickname, she knew for a fact. It was a good way for her to get put in time out when she was little. "See you ain't changed a bit… doing fine. Should be home a couple more days at least." he said. Yang smiled more genuinely at that one. Qrow had been a good dad to her and Ruby, there was no denying that. Of course, he was a good dad when he was _there_, which was seemingly limited to a week every month if they were lucky. Taiyang nodded a few times, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a lighter and a cigarette. "Taiii? Are you smoking in my house?" Summer's voice was hard to mistake for anything else.

"Uh… no!" Tai immediately snuffed the lighter, putting the cigarette away in his pockets. Qrow and Yang both smirked at him. If there was one thing Summer had _no _tolerance for (because she had a _very_ high tolerance for _a lot_ of things) it was smoking. _Especially_ if it was in her house. The first time Tai'd walked in with one she'd chased him out with a rifle in hand… granted, it was Ruby's toy rifle from when she was six but, he didn't have to know that. Qrow looked like he was about to say something when Ruby suddenly shot over the side of the couch, rolling over the side, over the coffee table, and right to Yang's feet, Zwei in her arms the whole time.

Yang smirked, wrapping her hands around Ruby's ankles and hoisting her up. Ruby let out an adorable yelp, "Ya-Yaaaaang! Put me down!" she said, swinging back and forth a bit, her head grazing against the floor. She clung to Zwei for dear life as Yang stepped on the chair, holding her up higher. "Yang…" Summer walked in, a spoon in one hand with the other on her hip, her face set in a frown. Yang froze, Ruby, Tai, and Qrow all turning to look at the woman. She strode across to her daughters, looking up and down for a moment. A small smile formed on her face as she set the spoon on the counter, pushing Ruby's shirt down a bit. Ruby's face paled as she realized what her mother was doing. Her plea had just reached her lips when her mother blew a raspberry into her belly.

"BAHAAHAHA! N-NO! STAHAHAHAAP! STHAA- AHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" anyone that _ever _tormented Ruby knew her greatest weakness: her _highly_ ticklish belly. Given that her mother had the same weakness, it wasn't surprising that she knew how to _exploit_ said weakness as well. Summer blew a few more before leaning back, lightly rubbing off her daughter's belly before leaning down, planting a kiss on her red face. Yang slowly set her down, letting Ruby flop around like a fish for a second, turning around and ensuring her belly was _nowhere near ANYONE_. The three adults and yang shared a laugh at her expense… until Summer looked down. "Umm… Qrow? Where's my-"

**CLANG! CLA-CLAN-CLANG! CLANG! EVEN MORE CLANGING -IF IT WEREN'T OBVIOUS A **_**LOT **_**OF STUFF IS FALLING!**

The four that weren't recovering from a laugh attack froze, looking at each other for a moment… then, as one, they bolted into the kitchen. Tai, Qrow, Summer, and Yang all leaned in, each over top of one another as they gazed at the source of the noise. There was Zwei, biting on the tip of the spoon Summer had laid down a few moments ago. He was covered in a thick layer of white flour, the pancake batter spilled out in a ring around him, the frying pan laying just in front of him. He let out a few cute barks, the four all gazing in disbelief. Summer looked down at Tai and Qrow, "Maybe we should just go out…"

Zwei seemed to like this idea, dashing towards them before leaping at Tai. Given he was Tai's dog, he instinctively reached up to catch him, only for this to knock him off balance… along with the other three piled on top of him. The four rolled back into the living room, Tai, Qrow, Summer, then at last Yang landing in a heap next to Ruby, Zwei sitting on top of Yang's back, triumphant. All four trained warriors looked up at the little corgi that now stood atop them. "I'm fine with going out." Yang, Qrow, and Tai all said in unison.

Ruby, having _finally_ recovered from the fit Summer and Yang had brought on, merely stood, giggling at Zwei as she picked him up. She leaped up, Yang grunting as Ruby landed on her back, crossing her legs as she set Zwei in her lap. Ruby lightly pat Yang's behind, flour flying up as she did so. She glared at her, "You are so-ooh!" the tower shook as Tai stood, activating his semblance as he lifted Summer and Qrow onto either shoulder, Yang's stomach just over his head. Ruby reached up a hand, giggling as she drug a finger across the ceiling. "Wow… so _that's _what it feels like." of course, none of them could avoid smiling at Ruby's comment.

Tai leaned down, letting Ruby and Zwei slide off onto the couch with a puff, Yang bouncing onto it just after them. Of course, for Qrow and Summer, he simply put them down, letting them get up themselves. Yang stood after a second, "Okay… guess we're going out then?" at least, that's what _she _figured was going on. Summer looked between her children, her husband, and Tai… then looked back at the destroyed wreck that was the kitchen. She sighed, "That's going to be a _lot_ of cleaning later. Yes, Yang, we're going out for breakfast." Yang nodded, grabbing Ruby's arm and dragging her up the stairs.

She pulled them into her room, glaring at the younger girl. Ruby's face paled, "Ummm… Yang? What're- NO! YANG PLEASE NO! PLEASE!" she shouted, knowing that smirk on her sister's face. Ruby scrambled up the wall, feet pressing against the walls, arms against the ceiling as she stood, just _barely_ out of Yang's reach. Yang smirked, "What's wrong? Scared of your big sis?" Ruby nodded furiously. Of _course_ she was terrified of Yang, or more specifically what she could _do_. She knew that evil smirk on her face, and she had _no_ desire to go through whatever insane prank Yang was thinking of (granted, it would more than likely just be a neck-lock or something, but it never hurt to be careful).

Yang walked over to the door, locking it and pushing the chair beneath the handle. "Ruby… come down. Seriously, we need to get ready." she said, feeling her own annoyance at her sister fading a bit. Ruby shook her head, leaping on top of Yang's dresser with the grace of a cat. She pulled herself down, moving over to the side before staring down at her sister. "ACHOO! Uh… it's dusty up here." Ruby said, sniffing a few times. Yang smiled, looking at her sister for a few more seconds… then she sighed. She walked to the dresser, Ruby quivering slightly, ready to leap away at the first sign of Yang trying to climb it. Though, instead, she just grabbed out her outfit for the day, walking over and grabbing a shirt from her closet before laying them out on the bed.

"Ruby, if you don't come down I'm taking a shower-" "-NO!" Ruby dashed down, wrapping her arms around her sister. She knew for a _fact_ her sister would use all the hot water if her father hadn't already. Yang smirked. Worked like a charm. She turned, wrapping an arm around Ruby and keeping her pressed against her, shoving the chair out of the way and opening the door with her other arm. She walked towards the bathroom, opening the door and shutting it, Ruby with her eyes squeezed shut the entire time. Yang slowly peeled Ruby off, sitting her on the toilet. Ruby opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow as she saw Yang step back towards the door. "Come on, get ready."

Ruby watched as Yang walked out, the girl leaning back against the door the way she was accustomed to. Ruby stared a few seconds longer before turning away, locking the door (like that could stop her sister) before disrobing, turning on the shower. Meanwhile, Yang just leaned her head back, taking a few breaths as she stared at the ceiling. She felt her eyes widen again, her heart in her ears, pupils dilating as everything grew clearer. She heard the torrent of water through the door, heard her sister humming the tune of her favorite song. She heard the water going through the pipes next to her, felt the air running over her face, tickling her bare back from the vent. She heard the movement from downstairs, a clear picture of her family walking around.

"AAAH!" Yang shouted, covering her face as she fell to the ground. Her legs twitched out of her control, her body shifting and writhing in ways she knew weren't right. Her head was pounding, her heart was pounding, _everything_ was pounding. As if someone were playing her body like a bass drum. She heard something moving up the stairs, she felt being pulled back as the door opened. She squeezed her eyes shut, pressing her hands tighter and tighter against her temples, as if hoping to crush her head. She felt a gentle pressure beneath her, her heart slowing a bit as a gentle hand glided over her side. She could hear voices, she could hear footsteps, she could feel the panic in the air. Yet it was a familiar panic, something that had happened before.

She slowly opened her eyes, seeing two silver eyed girls gazing down at her. She slowly looked up, finding that she'd curled up into a tight fetal position during her episode. She let herself unfurl, her muscles relaxing as Summer's hands gently pulled back her hair, Ruby's at the sides of her head, gently pulling her hands back from her head. She staggered up, gazing at the two girls. Summer frowned, Ruby's face concerned in a way that made their relationship clear. "Are you okay?" the two asked in unison. Yang nodded a few times, pulling herself back to sit against the door. She looked over, seeing the shower still running, Ruby clad in a towel, hair dripping wet still.

She smiled at Ruby, "You missed a spot." she said, reaching over and rubbing at some shampoo still in Ruby's hair. Her face resembled her name as she stood, walking over to the shower. Summer gently pulled the weakened Yang back, shutting the door behind her. She leaned down next to her, wrapping an arm around her. Yang leaned back, nuzzling her head against Summer's shoulder as she hugged her. "Have you taken your medicine today?" Summer asked, frowning as her eyes traversed Yang's body. From the tight muscles to the white lines of pressure still there from a moment ago. Yang shook her head, frowning at the ground. "Sorry… it just, it makes my head so fuzzy…" Yang _despised_ the medicine. It stopped the attacks sure, but it also _killed_ her senses.

Summer wrapped her tighter, "I know sweetie, I know. Take all the time you need, we'll wait." she planted a kiss on Yang's forehead before standing, walking back down the stairs. Yang watched after her, feeling her head start spinning again. Something felt wrong. Something felt off. Of course, that was the way she _normally_ was after an attack but, this was worse than usual. She just sat back, taking a few breaths and trying to calm down, waiting for her sister to finish her shower.

…

"Is Yang okay!?"

Summer gently pat Ruby's shoulder, sitting down on her bed. "Yang is _perfectly_ fine dear… she just hasn't taken her medicine today, that's all." she said. Ruby nodded a few times, her face still the mask of worry as she leaned on her mother's shoulder. As much as she and Yang annoyed each other, there was no denying the two of them were close. The fact that there was even a _chance_ Yang could suddenly collapse into violent tremors and headaches? That worried her to no _end_. "Why does Yang have the attacks, mom?" she asked. Summer froze, pulling her daughter closer to hide the expression on her face.

"I don't know, sweetie. I really don't." she wasn't going to explain it to Ruby. Even if she was, she'd tell Yang first. Ruby just sighed, smiling as her mother started petting her head, distracting her the way Summer's mother would always distract her, and so on back through their family. "_She doesn't have to know Summer… no one has to know…_" she thought, slowly standing, walking back out. Qrow was waiting, looking over at her from the stairs. His eyes begged the familiar question. Summer shook her head in response. She hadn't said a word. He walked over, wrapping his arms around his wife. "When do you plan on telling her?" he whispered. Summer sighed,

"I don't… she shouldn't suffer that burden. No one should."


	2. Let the Games Begin

"My fellow Valeans…"

That was how Coby Adol began his speech. The same way he began _all_ of his speeches in truth. Here he stood on the steps of city hall, running for mayor, all the while a crowd of pedestrians and reporters surrounded him. They flashed pictures, shouted questions -the normal things reporters would do. The handsome human stood a bit taller at the praise, smiled a bit wider, "It is time for us to once again ask that fatal question. To ask the question which has troubled us since time immemorial. What _is_ Vale? What does it want? Do we wish to stand idle as our industry, our land, our people are taken advantage of by the damned bureaucrats of this nation?"

He got a resounding 'no!' from the crowd. He fought down a little smirk. He knew pandering to the nationalistic, anti-establishment crowd would pay off. The people in the crowd weren't upper class, middle class, or even _lower_ class for the most part. Most of them had been laid off and were _itching_ for someone to blame. "These same bureaucrats who, behind closed doors, allowed us to be so brutalized in the faunus wars? Allowed the beasts that now roam the streets to send our economy into the worst state it's been in ten years!?" another resounding 'no'. The man didn't believe a word of it. He wasn't a big fan of the faunus sure, but he wasn't above ignoring his beliefs if it got him what he wanted. A means to an end. He opened his mouth to speak-

**BANG!**

A bullet beat him to the punch.

The crowd and the reporters panicked as security guards rushed the podium, diving in front of him as others started yelling into their mikes. Yelling about the assassination as the crowd scattered. Among that crowd, there was a young rabbit faunus, with long brown hair that stretched almost halfway down her back. She bore a panicked expression, clutching her camera as she tried to fight through the crowd, tried to find a place to hide. She dashed into a nearby alley, looking down at her camera. "Hey, what're you-" the man was knocked back before he could finish his sentence. The faunus's panic was replaced with a sort of confidence as she slammed her foot onto the man's face, knocking him out.

She reached into her pocket, fishing around for her scroll for a few seconds before at last pulling it out, tapping on the only contact it had. She held it up to her ear, leaning back against the wall. "This is Hunter BB, the stairs need sweeping." she didn't wait for a reply, simply powering off the scroll before turning, slamming it into the wall a few times, leaving the components of it on the ground. She picked up her smoking camera, a small smile on her face as she walked out the other side of the alley, a simple photographer.

Just like that, she disappeared into the crowded street.

…

Yang stepped out of the shower, frowning at the sink.

More specifically, the little yellow bottle of pills at the corner. She walked towards them, gripping the bottle in one hand, prying it open with the other. She looked in, feeling her stomach churn as she saw the little blue pills inside. Her fingers shook as they reached in, pulling out a single one. She took a few breaths, "It's just one pill Yang… you've done it before, you can…" she felt her eyes widen, watched as the pill dropped into the bottle, heard it clatter against the others. She heard her parents talking downstairs, the words muffled by the door. She heard Zwei barking outside, Ruby and Tai splashing around with him as they tried to get him clean. She walked over to the door, fighting off her shout as her hand brushed the shock of cold that was the doorknob. She heard the voices, loud and clear.

"-you tell her, Summer?"

"I don't want… what would she say? What would she _do_ if she found out the truth? You and I _both_ know how… _temperamental_, she gets sometimes."

"You mean how she starts shouting and throwing things and nearly lights the curtains on fire?"

"That… that only happened _once_… yes, Qrow, I mean that."

"Look, I know you want to protect her but… Summer, she's almost eighteen. She'll be going to _Beacon_ soon… do you really think she can't handle it?"

"I…" Summer sighed, "no, I think she can but… I don't -I'm not…"

Yang could _hear_ Qrow's smirk in his voice, "What? _Already _got a case of Empty Nest Syndrome? She hasn't left yet _and_ we have Ruby."

"No! I… maybe… I just-"

Yang gritted her teeth as she felt her hearing fade, everything going back to normal. "_GAAAH! Why does it cut out at the WORST times!?_" she thought, not for the first time wishing she could control the strange thing that happened to her. She shut the door, turning her head and gazing at the pills. She walked over, taking one out and laying it on top of the mirror, closing the bottle. She felt a pang of guilt as she got dressed, knowing how expensive the medicine was. She walked out the door, smiling at the sight below.

There was Summer, leaning against Qrow's chest, his arms wrapped around her with his chin on her head. It looked like… had she been crying during that conversation? If so, Yang _had_ to give her mother credit. Her voice sounded completely normal, without even a _hint_ of a shake barring toward the end. She started walking down the stairs, avoiding the loud, creaking ones as she crept down the stairs. "Just where do you think you're going?" Summer said, not opening her eyes _or_ leaving Qrow's embrace. Qrow looked up, smirking slightly at Yang as the girl turned toward her mother. Summer looked back, "You'll have to wait a minute, Ruby and Tai are-"

"Bathing Zwei? Yeah, I overheard." Summer and Qrow didn't question how that was possible when they could just _barely_ hear them. It was Yang. They'd come to almost _expect_ the impossible from her. Summer left her husbands grip, slowly walking out the door as the two followed close behind her. Ruby walked around the corner, a squeaky clean Zwei wrapped in a towel occupying her arms. She herself didn't look too bad, only a bit of water on her arms. When _Tai_ walked around the corner… well, suffice to say it looked like he'd just dumped in the pool. "Uh… do you… want to dry off? Tai?" it wasn't hard to tell Summer was _struggling_ to keep from laughing.

"AHAHAAHAHAHA!" Though, Yang and Qrow had no such qualms. Tai just glared at the two, slowly walking towards them. Of course, the second he did, Yang and Qrow bolted the opposite direction, leading Taiyang in a chase around the house. Meanwhile, Ruby and Summer just stood at the path outside, eyes following the trio as they ran circles around the house. "Should we go?" Ruby asked, one hand cradling Zwei as the other hand ran down his back. Summer just shook her head, giving a warm smile as she saw Yang trip, sending Qrow and Tai careening over her into a rose bush.

"On second thought…" she walked over, helping Yang up as Tai stood up, looking around for Qrow. He looked around, everyone trying to find out where he'd went. It took a few minutes but, whenever they heard the cawing… well, suffice to say they knew where he was. Summer looked up, smiling as she saw a black crow come to rest on her shoulder, lightly pecking her cheek. She giggled, "What's my little crow want today?" if it was possible for a crow to looked embarrassed, Qrow was pulling it off _perfectly_. Tai walked through the bushes, glaring at Qrow for a second before he sighed, smiling at the girls, "Let's just go." he would normally have taken Summers' offer to dry himself off but, then again, he _had_ just got done chasing Yang and Qrow around the house four or five times. The wind and exertion had practically dried him already.

Just like that, the five (six if you counted Zwei) _finally_ started on the path to the nearby village. They walked in relative silence, barring Summer cooing to her husband and Ruby cuddling with Zwei. Tai and Yang walked on in silence, leaving the two silver eyed women a bit behind them. "So Yang… plan on heading to Beacon next semester?" Yang's only response was to nod. She looked around, eyes gazing about the woods and down the road. Taiyang turned, not saying a word for a bit. At least, until he heard the rustling branches. The two froze, turning in almost complete unison. Summer and Ruby stopped, sensing the change in their companions. Qrow flew from Summer's shoulder, materializing back in his human state in the tree, frowning behind him.

"Just a stray!" he said. Upon hearing it the four trained warriors relaxed. Qrow dropped down, the sound of a cat meowing coming from the brush as the small, black creature darted across the road, it's tail briefly brushing against Taiyang's leg. Yang's eyes followed it, watching it leaped onto a nearby log, looking back at her. Brilliant yellow eyes gazed into lilac ones, and for a brief second, it hesitated. Neither wanted to move. Then, the cat darted off, into the woods somewhere. "Strange seeing a stray outside the city…" Summer muttered, walking over and joining Yang in staring after the small creature.

Taiyang just shrugged it off, "Probably moved out here for all the field mice. At least it's doing something useful." Yang slowly nodded, eyes still strangely fixed on the path the cat took to leave. Even as they started walking, Yang couldn't get that strange cat out of her head, the way its eyes seemed to see past her. Seemed to see… she shook her head, trying to get the thoughts out. She didn't need any _more_ wild speculation as to where her strange abilities came from. The five walked on in silence, this time joined by Qrow in a more human state. No other strange cats, even so, Yang couldn't shake the feeling _something_ was watching her. As if something's eyes were on her back.

Yet nothing approached them. Nothing made any noises that she could hear. They made it to the main city of Patch without any real issues. Yang looked around, smiling at the familiar sight. Just a few blocks away from her there was the Little Diner. Literally, its name was 'The Little Diner'. The five (six) walked through the doors, greeted with the familiar smell of pancake batter. "Well well well! We got a whole _family_ of hunters this time!" a loud, female voice said. The three looked up, watching as a tall, blonde woman approached them, clad in a simple pair of jeans, a checkered shirt, and a beige apron. Vermillion Arc leaned back against the door, a smile on her face as she gazed at them, "The usual Tai?"

Tai nodded, letting Vermillion guide them to a seat near the back. The diner itself seemed almost empty, barring a few people on the opposite side to them. Yang, Ruby, Summer, and Zwei squeezed into one side, Qrow and Taiyang taking the other, the two blonds of the group on the end. Vermillion pulled a notepad from seemingly nowhere, a little smile on her face, "What for you strawberry-chip?" that was the thing with Vermillion and her customers. Go there often enough, she started calling you by a nickname. For obvious reasons, she was referring to Ruby. The girl leaned down, staring at the menu for only about a second, "The usual." before apparently deciding she didn't need it.

"Alright… you mama silver?" Summer just held up one finger, handing Ruby her menu to set them back in the little cart with the condiments. Vermillion nodded a few times, writing down Summer's usual order on 'one days' as she called them. "You Yangarang?" Yang just gave her a look, the woman nodding and writing down what she wanted. The five had been there enough times that Vermillion practically didn't _need_ to ask what they wanted, and more did it out of formality than anything else. She looked over, Qrow just nodding a few times. She didn't even get the _chance_ to say his nickname… which granted, Qrow was _completely_ fine with. He'd already been called it enough today.

Yang leaned back, looking around the diner once again. She heard the door ring, saw a man step through… something about him seemed off. He had long, black hair that stretched halfway down his back, a strange strand of pink died in the otherwise black ponytail it was tied in. Sharp magenta eyes turned, meeting lilac ones. They stared at each other for a few seconds before Yang turned, answering a question Qrow had asked her. When she looked back, she saw the man sitting down, grabbing a menu and looking over it. She kept staring, observing. He was clad in a pair of white dress pants and a green button-down, a rather odd combination that actually worked quite well on his figure. Next to his leg, there was a small black briefcase, with-

"Remnant to Yang, hello? Anyone home?"

Yang turned, grabbing her sister's wrist before she could poke her forehead again. "What, Ruby?" she asked, leaning over slightly. She saw her sister turn, a smirk finding its way to her face as she saw what Yang was staring at. Yang just glared at her, moving her fingers over her lips in the all too familiar sign of 'zip it!'. Ruby, having violated that sort of signal before, wisely choose to oblige Yang, nodding a few times before leaning back in her seat. "I'll be right back." Yang said, suddenly thankful that the bathroom was on the other side of the restaurant. No one paid her any mind as she stood up, casually walking towards the bathroom, acting as though she weren't focused on the man across from them.

Yang looked over, watching as the man's hand trailed down a bit, dropping a small object. She leaned down, picking up what looked to be a simple pin. "Hey," he looked up, eyes meeting hers again, "you dropped this." she said, holding the pin out to him. He looked at it for a few seconds before he nodded, giving her a small smile. He reached up, fingers barely touching her palm as they took it from her, shoving it in his pocket. "Can't say I've ever seen you around here before. I'm Yang." said girl said, giving a bright smile as she leaned against the booth. The man smiled back, gesturing for her to sit down. Yang complied, much to the amusement of her sister in the background.

The man held out a hand, "I'm Ren." Yang shook it, nodding toward the newly named Ren. She couldn't help but feel on edge... something about him was just… _off_. She wasn't sure what it was but… something was wrong. "So, new to Patch? Just move here, new job… what's your story?" she asked, a small smirk on her face as she laid her chin on her entwined hands. Ren just nodded a few times, reaching into his coat and pulling out his scroll. He pressed a few buttons before sliding it over to her. Yang looked down, raising an eyebrow, only for him to gesture. She grabbed it, opening the lock screen. There was one sentence typed into a message:

"**Did you see the black cat?**"

Yang looked up, suddenly more on edge than ever. The somewhat friendly demeanor was still there, expecting an answer. She nodded, sliding it back to him, "How did you know about that?" she whispered, not wanting to be overheard. Now, something was _definitely_ wrong. He picked up his scroll, typing once more. Yang started tapping her foot on the ground, anxiously waiting for him to finish. When he slid it over again, Yang didn't hesitate for a second to pick it up. This time, the sentence wasn't a question:

"**We'll speak again soon, Y-1.**"

Yang raised an eyebrow as Ren stood, taking his scroll back before grabbing his briefcase, walking towards the bathroom. Yang waited a second before she stood, speed-walking after him. She shoved open the door to the men's bathroom, eyes widening. "_What the… there are no exits he… he was JUST here… where did he go?_" she thought, looking around. She dove to the floor, looking beneath both stalls to see no feet in either. There was no window, there was no skylight, no other door, nothing. The room had one entrance and one exit… so how had Ren just _vanished_?

She stepped out, walking over to the woman's bathroom just in case. She stopped when she saw her mother standing there, leaning against the wall. "Oh… you had to use the bathroom too?" Yang asked, smiling at Summer. Summer shook her head, a little smirk on her face. Yang gulped, slowly walking towards one of the stalls. The second her mother looked away, she walked in and locked the door behind her, getting ready to actually _use _the bathroom this time. "Who was the boy?" Summer asked. Yang felt her cheeks turn pink at her mother's tone. She _always_ used that tone when she was talking about a boyfriend of hers… of course, this one she didn't even _know_ but, at the same time.

"Said his name was Ren. He's new in town apparently. I'd never seen him before so I just… you know, did the _me_ thing and, started talking." Yang said, trying to play off her nervous voice as casual. All the while her mind was spinning with questions. Who was he? How had he disappeared? How did he know about the black cat? Why had he called her Y-1? What did Y-1 even _mean_? "So, where'd this _mysterious _man go?" Summer asked. Yang didn't need to see her face to know she was smirking. Yang shrugged, it taking a moment to realize Summer couldn't _actually_ see her. "I don't know. He walked into the men's bathroom and just disappeared. Probably walked out behind me or something." she said, more talking to herself at this point.

When she walked out, her mother was still standing there, leaning against the wall with that predictable little smirk on her face. As Yang started washing her hands, her mother did even more to embarrass her, "Too bad, he was a cute one." Yang nearly broke the faucet in her shock. Her mother had called a few of her boyfriends 'cute' sure, but it was rare she'd say that when it was _clear_ the two hadn't really met yet. "Mom! I just _met_ the guy… and, probably won't see him again come to think of it. You're acting like we're _dating_…" she trailed off, rolling her eyes.

Yang felt an arm on her shoulder, her mother smiling at her, "Well, knowing you I wouldn't be surprised to find him in my house tonight." Yang's face went _bright_ red at that one, about to start sputtering excuses to her mother, only for her to start sputtering to a few fluttering, white rose petals. She turned, just slowly shaking her head as she gazed at the mirror. She shut off the water, hands freezing. She slowly looked up, feeling her head start pounding. With each pound, she saw her vision flash, a very different image in the mirror. "_MOMMY!_" she heard a younger her yell, felt a gentle touch on her face. In those flashes, she could only make out a few details: A mane of black hair, burning red eyes, a white lab coat over something red, then it would fade away into another flash.

"_Subject Y-1 is ready, Dr. Branwen._"

Yang wasn't aware she'd smashed the mirror. Yang wasn't aware her hand was bleeding, her fist having gone through the very wall behind it. She wasn't aware that she'd been crying, that the water beneath her had been shut off. She felt a gentle pressure on her shoulder and turned to see no one there. She could feel it… someone should've been there. There _should've_ been someone there, but there wasn't. There was only air. She turned to the mirror, watching as it suddenly put itself back together as if no damage had been done. "You alright Yangarang?" Yang turned, nodding a few times at Vermillion. She felt light-headed, she felt dizzy, she felt sick, but she nodded anyway.

Vermillion frowned, walking over to her and lightly patting her forehead, "You sure? You don't look so hot, but you _feel_ like an oven. I think you oughta lie down a bit, rest up." Yang shook her head, forcing herself to walk to the door. She gave Vermillion a smile, telling her she appreciated the offer. Then she turned and walked back, heading for her family again. Ruby didn't look smug this time, but rather worried. Summer looked the same way as she sat down, the older woman moving a hand over Yang's back. "Yang? Yang, are you okay? Yang… Yang?" Yang didn't answer. She just sat there, staring at the table, trying desperately not to throw up.

Something about what had just happened made her so, _so_ sick. Her stomach was churning at the thought of even moving, let _alone_ eating. Vermillion walked back over with their food in hand, and Yang damn near passed out at the scent alone. It was a good smell of course -it _was_ Vermillion's cooking- but it was just so much _stronger_ than she remembered. As Vermillion set down her order, Yang had to struggle to smile and say thank you. The older woman kept glancing at her as she set down everyone else's food, her eyes getting more and more worried. At last, she stepped back, crossing her arms as she gazed at Yang. "What? I told you I'm… fine…" it was _so_ hard to keep a smile saying that. The event in the bathroom kept replaying in her head, that sick feeling in her stomach getting worse.

"Yang, I'm not joking. Are you okay?" even Qrow and Tai were starting to take notice, both of their expressions turning worried as all eyes turned to the blonde girl. She just nodded a few times, nearly unconsciously taking a bite of the pancake beneath her. It helped a bit, the familiar taste pushing the memory back into the darker corners of her mind. "Yeah… just a headache. Haven't eaten yet." she said, smiling back at them. Ruby, Tai, and Qrow let out a small sigh of relief, but Summer and Vermillion didn't seem convinced. Though, with Yang seemingly back to normal, the two were willing to reluctantly go back to what they were doing. Vermillion heading for the kitchen as Summer started eating.

…

"Aaaah…" Ruby exhaled, lightly patting her belly, her eyes shut and face set in a content little smile. Her mother was the same way, leaning back with her eyes closed, only for them to shoot open and glare across the table when she felt someone kick at her foot. She looked over, smirking as Qrow gestured toward Tai, who seemed wide awake compared to everyone else. Yang looked… well, she looked the same, her mind still spinning with questions. Vermillion had long since laid the check on the table, letting Tai and Qrow split it as usual. If she'd 'accidentally' not added Tai's meal onto the ticket… well, so be it.

Qrow stood, signaling Yang to do the same. She complied, the remaining three getting out of the booths as they started walking towards the door. Vermillion walked out of the kitchen, not _really_ that busy in the first place. She smiled at them as they started walking toward her, Tai hanging back a bit as always. Vermillion looked up at Tai as the family of four walked out. She smirked as she stood on her tiptoes, planting a kiss on his cheek, "Don't keep a girl waiting so long next time, okay handsome?~" she purred. Tai responded by wrapping the smaller woman in a hug, planting a kiss on her lips.

"Don't worry, I'll be back _real_ soon~" Vermillion just stared after him, her face suddenly redder than the cloak around Ruby's shoulders. Tai dashed to catch up with the other four, rubbing the lipstick off his cheek before Yang and Ruby could notice it. He really didn't _need_ too, it wasn't much of a _secret_ anymore. All of them had seen the way Vermillion looked at him, and all saw the way he looked at her. "_The only thing I'm shocked at is he hasn't got her in bed yet…_" Qrow thought, a small smirk on his face as Tai caught up. He would _never_ let the blond huntsman live _that_ old folly of his down.

Yang, in the meantime, just kept walking, absently looking around the trees as she normally did. They walked for a few minutes before Yang stopped… that same cat. The same, black cat from before. It was sitting there, staring at her… watching her. The conversation she'd had with Ren came back into her mind as she started walking toward it, only for the cat to dash away into the woods. She stared after it for a few more seconds before turning away, following her family back towards their home. All the while, her mind kept going back to those same questions she'd had since talking with Ren. Yet now, one more stood out to her:

"_What is it about that black cat?_"

…

Yellow eyes watched the blonde woman step away from the cat.

Pale hands gripped onto the branch, slowly crawling forward along it, dagger held between their teeth. They watched as she stepped away, watched as the woman turned back, gazing into the trees, right towards her. Yet she would see nothing. She saw only the leaves, only the branches. It was then that the woman knew. She knew who she was looking at. "_So I finally found you… Y-1_." she waited until she'd walked away before letting herself fall to the ground, slowly rising. She let her skin slowly change from its leafy pattern, the skin-tight suit she was wearing slowly shifting to mimic the skin beneath it.

She leaned down, hoisting the cat into her arms. Black cat ears that blended almost perfectly into her hair swiveled around, searching for any noise out of the ordinary. She sniffed the air, smiling as she picked up the scent of sugar and flour. She shifted her skin, the suit over her mimicking the space behind her as she started walking, invisible from the front. No one knew her name, no one knew where she came from, but what _everyone_ knew was the number. The number seared into the back of her neck, often times hidden by her hair. The last thing anyone never saw.

S-16.

**(a/n- since I get the feeling someone's going to get on my case about this, I may as well clear the air now. The numbers and letter combos you'll see don't **_**usually**_ **represent the first name of whoever it is.)**


	3. Where it Began

**CRASH!**

"Qrow? Qrow, did you hear that?" Summer asked, sitting up in bed. Qrow sat up next to her, nodding a few times. His hand shot out to his nightstand, grabbing the small pistol he had on standby. He opened the cylinder, frowning when he saw only three bullets. Should've reloaded it earlier. He snapped it shut, him and Summer quietly stepping out of their bedroom. The two must've looked quite a sight, a woman in her nightgown and a man in nothing but his boxers and a t-shirt, one holding a gun while the other held his arm.

The two slowly approached the kitchen, where the crash had come from. Internally, Summer groaned about having to clean up _another_ mess after the one Zwei had made earlier that day. The two slowly approached, looking around the corner into the kitchen. Qrow looked in, eyes widening as he saw… something on the ground. He saw a dark shape moving about, some kind of clicking reaching his ears as it made it's way across the ground. He leaned back, looking down at his wife's fearful features. When he looked back up, he saw the shadow slowly approaching him.

It pulled itself upright, Qrow's eyes widening as he saw something fanning out from it's back, knocking over a nearby pot. He didn't think twice as he pulled the trigger, the flash blinding him for a moment. The creature let out a vague hiss as it dashed away, disappearing into the shadows. Summer walked around him, eyes glowing slightly as she dashed into the other room, grabbing her rifle from the nearby cabinet and joining her husband. She saw Qrow staring toward a nearby corner, gun held steady in his hands. She walked toward him, rifle held at her shoulder.

Whatever it was growled.

**BANG! BANG!**

Both of them shot.

The creature didn't slump over and start to vanish as a grimm would have, but rather dashed out the nearby window, shattering the glass. Qrow and Summer dashed toward it, aiming their guns out and trying to get a look at the thing. Summer caught a glimpse of a leather wing before it disappeared into the forest, the sound of dogs barking as it sped along its way. The two huntsmen gazed after it for a moment before Summer sat back, laying the butt of her rifle on the ground. Qrow lowered his revolver, sitting it on the table before he went to grab a broom.

"Here you said grimm insurance was a bad idea." Summer just rolled her eyes at that. She'd berated her husband so much on getting that… guess she stood corrected now. Qrow tossed her a broom, grabbing another one out of the closet as he walked toward the glass, the two of them sweeping it up. "Mom? Is everything okay?" Summer turned, smiling slightly as she saw Ruby standing there. She was clad in her little beowolf onesie, something she'd gotten her when she was twelve (she hadn't grown that much apparently). She was rubbing her eye, the gunshots having woken her up. She walked toward her, taking her hand, "Nothing to worry your little head about honey. Come on, back to bed." the tired Ruby didn't resist much, letting her mother lead her back up the stairs.

Summer looked at Yang's door after a second, slowly shaking her head as she heard the silence within, "_I swear that girl can sleep through anything._" now she'd not only slept through a storm but also _gunshots_. Summer walked back down the stairs, seeing her husband cleaning up the last of the glass as she walked over, picking up a few of the things that had fallen. Then she paused, raising an eyebrow at the small object next to her fingers. If she didn't know any better, she'd have said she was looking at a dragon scale.

"Qrow, come here." the man turned, raising an eyebrow as he saw the red scale in his wife's hand. The two slowly turned, looking at one another before gazing back at the scale. They both knew it in their heads -that no grimm would drop a red scale- but neither wanted to say it aloud. Summer leaned down, "You… you don't think it's…" Qrow shook his head… there was no way. It couldn't have been… it couldn't have been.

Meanwhile, Ruby was _frozen_.

There she stood, eyes glued straight ahead as she blocked the doorway with her body. Her feet were rooted to the spot, her mouth half-opened as a few vague calls for help slipped out, falling to the floor _long_ before Summer or Qrow could hear them. She saw the strange thing slowly rising, cloaked in shadows. She was about to just scream when a scaly, red hand wrapped itself around her mouth, lifting her almost to the ceiling. Red, slit-pupil eyes glowed from nearby, a single finger held up to where its lips would be if it had any. "Shhhh." Ruby was _trying_ to scream and kick and fight, but even _with_ her semblance this thing just kind of shrugged it off.

The strange thing started walking toward the nearby window, slowly pulling it open before dangling her out of it. She turned, eyes wide as she saw the thing slowly crawl out, feet perching on the window as large, leathery wings spread out, nearly covering the side of the house. Ruby saw the moon come out from the clouds, slowly shining over the beasts red scaly face. It leaped off the windowsill before she could get a better look, Ruby's eyes wide as she looked down, dangling by her face almost a hundred feet in the air.

She was both relieved and terrified when the beast shifted its grip, claws on its feet wrapping around her torso as her mouth was released. "SOMEONE HEEEEEEELLP!" Ruby yelled, reminding the creature why it had kept her mouth shut. Ruby shook herself around a bit, face paling as she saw her house slowly disappearing behind the clouds. She turned to look at the beast, heart racing as she saw it send out a forked tongue. It turned it's eyes down at her, only for a brilliant red glare to light up the sky.

Another streaked past.

Then another.

The fourth one hit.

The beast staggered a bit, starting to dodge through the barrage of red fire coming from seemingly nowhere. At least, until the clouds cleared. Ruby turned, a wide smile finding its way to her face as she saw her sister punching shells at the creature, standing on top of the roof. "Ruby! Just hold on! I'm-"

Ruby could vaguely hear a high-pitched voice saying something, her sister gesturing wildly. "What!? I can't hear you I'm -I'm _really_ far away and it's windy!" she tried gestures of her own, only to get a confused gaze from Yang. Yang just started shouting something again, the creature slowly letting it's focus shift between her and Ruby, as if confused.

**BANG!**

Until, of course, Yang shot it out of the sky.

"Yeah!… wait…" Ruby looked down, seeing herself falling toward the ground. "**AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**" Ruby shut her eyes, flailing her arms and screaming her lungs off. Yang's eyes widened, her vision suddenly distorting, her senses strengthening. She tried to fight it, focus on her sister that was currently plummeting to the ground. She wasn't even aware she'd jumped off the edge of the roof until she'd done it, the distance between her and Ruby closing in seconds.

Ruby slowly opened her eyes, both of them widening as she saw Yang. "It's okay… I've got you." Yang smiled down at her. Ruby, on the other hand, just looked mortified. Yang raised an eyebrow… what was she looking… it was at that point that Yang looked down, seeing that she was still fifty feet in the air, almost two hundred feet from the house. She looked back, mind grinding to a halt as she saw two, yellow-scaled dragon wings on her back, flapping away to keep her airborne. She started floating toward the ground, slowly setting Ruby down. "Wha… whahaha… **WHAT!?**" Yang felt herself nearly hyperventilate as she pulled one of the wings in front of her, gently running her hand over it.

Ruby slowly approached her, Yang stepping back. "Yang… sis… " "WHAT HAPPENED!? DID THAT THING DO SOMETHING TO ME!? WHATTHEFUCKISGOINGON!?" In literally _any _other circumstances Ruby probably would've said something about Yang swearing… then again, she guessed she could give her a pass for letting a swear slip when she had _dragon wings sprouting from her back_! Yang staggered back, leaning back against a tree, her hands grabbing each wing as her breathing got heavier. "W-Wings… that thing… flying… huuuh…"

Yang fainted.

Ruby slowly walked over, eyes wide as she saw the wings slowly flowing back toward Yang's back, curling around her back. Ruby waited for what felt like _ever_ before she finally approached, slowly leaning down. "Sis… Yang? Oh no… oh no Yang _please_ wake up!" Ruby leaned down, lightly shaking her sister.

Now _Ruby_ was starting to hyperventilate, shaking her sister over and over again. It wasn't until she flipped her sister over, until she heard her start snoring, that Ruby relaxed. "Okay… okay, she still snores like a bullhead… it's still Yang. She just… had dragon wings for a little while… and they… this isn't making it better Ruby! Do something else!" she yelled at herself, lightly hitting her head as if to stimulate a better idea.

She looked around for a moment, taking a few breaths, "Okay… grimm are attracted to negative emotions… oh no, there's probably a horde on its way after that mess! Come on Yang get _uuuuup_!" Ruby tried shaking Yang again, more panicked this time, only making the problem _infinitely_ worse by drawing more grimm to her location. After a few seconds, she saw Yang groaning, turning her head just slightly to the left. Ruby froze when she heard the growling, looking up to see the red eyes. "Okay… plan B." she grabbed her sister's foot.

"**RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN!**"

Yang was practically flying as Ruby dashed away from the grimm, unknowingly tearing a path away from her house and deeper into the woods. Yang was just floating behind her, her wings spanning out and acting almost like a parachute to slow the super speeding girl down. She kept running, heart pounding as she heard the beasts howling behind her. She just kept running, completely oblivious to the lilac eyes opened behind her. "Ugh... Ru-" she was cut off by hitting a tree branch, falling into a tirade of swearing for a moment.

"Ruby!"

**SMACK!**

"Ruby!"

**SMACK!**

"RUBY ST-!"

**SMACK!**

"STOP!"

**SMACK!**

"RUNNING!"

**SMACK!**

"I'M-"

**SMACK!**

"AWAKE!"

**SMACK!**

Yang felt dizzy, her head constantly hitting against the higher branches as Ruby just ran faster, almost a blur beneath her. She looked back, seeing the beowolves in the distance. She turned, eyes widening further as she saw the massive Ursa in front of them. "OH COME ON!" Ruby yelled, turning slightly. Yang focused all of her strength, pulling herself down toward Ruby by using her leg as a makeshift rope. She grabbed Ruby's hand, "**RUUUUBYYYYYYY!**"

Ruby finally turned around, eyes wide as she saw her sister's eyes (and forehead) glowing red. She skidded to a halt, Yang and her tumbling to the ground in a mess of wings, scales, and limbs. They stopped after a second, Yang slowly standing and holding out a hand, "Ruby! Calm down for a second!" the girl, of course, hardly needed to be told that. She was more concerned with catching her breath at the moment. The two's _very_ brief respite was interrupted by the sound of howling. Yang turned, hands going up into fists for a moment before she looked down.

"Ruby… hate to say it but, I don't have a lot of shells." for the first time in a while, Yang was somewhat panicked. Normally grimm like these were a cakewalk for her… but with so few bullets? An exhausted sister with no weapon of her own? These new wings she had to-

"_Wait…_"

Yang had to admit, it was weird to focus on the wings and have them move. She could feel them but… it was so _strange_, feeling those wings be apart of her. She dashed toward Ruby, her arms wrapping beneath hers as she hoisted her just a bit off the ground. "Uhh… Yang? What're you do-AAAAAAAAH! NOT AGAAAAAAIIN!" Ruby yelled, clinging onto her sister's arms for dear life as Yang leaped into the air, her wings forcing one of the nearby beowolves to staggered back, gazing up at the now flying girls.

Ruby looked down, her head spinning as she saw the ground so far beneath her, Yang flying in what almost looked to be a random direction. She looked up, "Yang… do you uh… do you know what you're doing?" of course, Yang's answer to that was to shake her head. She had no _clue_ what she was doing, and if it weren't for the blood-curdling screams her sister had let out earlier, she would've assumed she was in some sort of drug-induced fever dream. Of course, that and the pain she felt on her forehead and pressure on her arms told her this was _very_ real.

She started descending, slowly gliding down towards a little clearing in hopes of figuring out where the heck the two of them _were_. Ruby held her legs up, curling into a ball as Yang hit the ground running. When Yang let go, it took Ruby a few seconds to uncurl herself, her eyes flicking to her sister's large, yellow dragon wings for a moment. "Are they real?" that was the first thing she thought to ask. The same thing that Yang had thought to ask the second she saw them… albeit in a louder, much swearier way.

"Yeah… I think so, yeah." Yang draped one of the wings over her front, gently running a hand over it. Ruby seemed to be in a trance as she approached, slowly running her fingers over the leathery surface. "This is… _extremely_ cool -and weird- and terrifying -mostly terrifying." Ruby said, pulling back a bit. She was less afraid since this was her sister and not some strange, unknowable horror that had broken into the house but, it was still terrifying seeing those wings on _anything_, or any _one_ for that matter. "Yeah… now uh, any idea where we are?" Yang asked.

"I was hoping _you_ knew… uh-oh." Ruby muttered, wrapping her arms around herself, eyes nervously flicking toward the woods around her. Yang just slowly shook her head, walking over and taking Ruby's hand. "Just stay close… we can't be _that_ far away." it was at that moment that Yang Xiao Long made a decision. One that would alter the course of her life in ways she'd never dreamed possible.

She chose to walk north.

The two started walking, Ruby feeling only mildly surprised when Yang wrapped her newly acquired wing around her back, pulling the two closer. Yang was trying to protect her… she wouldn't lie, it was kind of comforting. The two walked for almost five minutes before Ruby looked up, an idea suddenly popping into her head. "Wait, why didn't you just fly up and see where everything is?" it _seemed_ like the obvious solution. Yang could _fly_ now apparently, so why not that power to get them home?

Yang just shook her head, "That makes sense but… not sure if I trust these wings just yet. They just _appeared_ out of nowhere, how do we know they won't _disappear_ while we're in midair? That isn't worth the risk." Ruby nodded a few times. She could see her sister's point at least. The wings were an unknown, a new variable that neither of them really understood. It wasn't a good idea to rely on them for anything. After a few minutes, the two stopped, coming across a little stream. "Huh… I think we went the wrong way, we should… Yang? Yaaaang?" Ruby waved her hand in front of her sister's frozen expression.

Yang just started walking forward, Ruby walking with her (well, not by _choice_, the wing was still wrapped around her) as the two walked through the stream. Yang turned down it, the two following the stream north for almost two minutes before Yang stopped, laying a hand upon the bank and hoisting herself over the side. Ruby followed, rolling onto the ground before she turned, raising an eyebrow. She saw a small, crumbling white building, with an old, dilapidated fence surrounding it. It looked to be… what, some kind of prison maybe? Hard to say for certain.

"It was real… it _was_ real, all of it… there…" Yang walked forward, as if in a trance. Ruby followed, raising an eyebrow as she saw Yang grab a small, tattered piece of cloth, one attached to a few others, raised up the wall. Yang pulled it forward, part of it unfolding as Ruby saw what was written on it. The very same thing Yang had kept seeing in nightmares since she was little. The very same thing that no matter how much she tried, she could never forget.

'Subject Y-1: Dragon'.

"Yang… Yang are you okay?" Ruby asked, slowly laying a hand on her sister's shoulder. She saw Yang's wings suddenly start retracting, folding back into her back before seemingly disappearing, her body slowly filling out a bit. Ruby thought for only a second that her sister was suddenly fatter, but then soon realized that she'd been skinnier the whole time… though, running from grimm wasn't the _best_ time to compliment someone on their weight loss (perceived or otherwise).

"Meow!"

Yang turned, eyes widening as she saw a little, black cat. It was standing in what remained of the nearby doorway, it's tail slowly curling against the doorframe. Yang slowly approached, eyes trailing up as the cat walked back inside, disappearing behind the door. She followed her sister, waiting for a beat before coming with her, watching her sister slowly crouching down. She walked over, looking over her shoulder to see what she _guessed_ was a staircase, leading down into the earth. "It feels like we shouldn't be here… Yang, can we go home?" Ruby had never been so afraid as when Yang turned to face her. Something in those lilac eyes had changed, something looked sharper, more dangerous… more lethal.

"You can run if you want… I need to see this." she stood, slowly walking down into the staircase, the cat following right by her leg. Ruby gulped, stopping at the entrance as she saw her sister disappear behind the corner. "Don't scream." Ruby was about to do just that when she felt a cold, wet cloth draped over her mouth and nose, two slender arms wrapping around her torso. She struggled, kicked, trying to hold her breath as she shifted around, trying to wriggle her way out. She could feel her body breathing against her wishes, eyes flicking up to try and at least _see_ her assailant.

Bright yellow eyes.

Pale white skin.

Long black hair.

She blacked out.

S-16 slowly laid the girl down, leaving the rag over her face. She reached a hand over her shoulder, drawing her trusty blade. She started walking toward the stairs, shifting her skin so that she was invisible from the front. She turned the corner, watching Y-1 approaching the place she'd wanted her to go. The place she'd planned on bringing her to herself. "_Glad she got here on her own… makes the lure kind of pointless._" she thought, vaguely remembering the cloth she'd strung together outside. She froze as the blonde girl turned around.

Yang let her eyes flick around the area… she could've _sworn_ she heard something. "Ruby? Are you still there?" no response. The only response was the cat's meowing, along with the faint rustle of the wind outside. She turned back, eyes gazing upon the small trapdoor. She could feel memories flickering at the edge of her mind. The screaming, the pain, the fear. She slowly fell to her knees, hands trembling a bit as she pulled open the trapdoor. It came loose in her hands, the rusty hinges giving way as she tossed it aside, leaving few, jagged spikes along the side.

The cat hopped down without hesitation, dashing further in. Yang turned, slowly climbing down the ladder, biting her lip to keep herself from screaming. She didn't know what power compelled her to… no. No, that was a lie. She knew _exactly_ what power had compelled her to jump down. The same power that had compelled her to follow the cat in the first place. Somewhere down here, there were answers. Answers to what happened to her. Answers to who she was. Answers to her episodes- answers to _everything_.

If they were anywhere, they'd be here.

She started walking down the dark hallway, following the sound of the cat, her hands trailing along the dark walls as she left the light behind. She could barely see, just able to hear the cat's faint meowing. She felt the path twisting and turning, left and right, and still, she followed the cat's sounds. She turned another corner, and suddenly she saw light. Light at the end of the tunnel, faint light creating a silhouette around the cat. Yang approached, stopping as she saw the small light the cat was standing in front of. It turned, hissing off to the left. Yang turned, freezing in place as she saw what it was hissing at.

Large, white doors.

"_NO! STOP! PLEASE!" _she heard a younger her yelling. She could feel the pressure on her wrists and ankles, the way she'd be tied down before being wheeled in. She remembered… _gods_ she remembered. She slowly approached, walking as if in a trance. Meanwhile, S-16 slowly stalked behind her. Watching… waiting. The cat flowed between Yang's legs, rubbing against her as a normal cat would. Yang stopped when she reached the doors, eyes flicking off to the right side. She remembered the doctors laying their hands on it, remembered it scanning them, remembered it opening… Yang did the same.

"Access granted. Welcome, Doctor Branwen."

Yang's eyes widened as the doors slid open with a hydraulic hiss, her having to shield her eyes from the bright, white light behind them. "_Since when am I a doctor here?_" Yang thought. Branwen was her (adoptive) last name sure but… why? She was a _subject_ here if anything, not a doctor. She blinked a few times, slowly stepping inside what looked to be an elevator of some kind. She looked up, eyes widening as one of her episodes started. She heard her sister's breathing… she was unconscious… she could smell the chloroform on her face… she could hear the faint stepping near her, sense the pressure on the back of her neck.

She turned around, her hand slamming against seemingly thin air, knocking something back into the nearby wall. It looked as though a part of the air had simply disconnected, falling to the ground. She dashed toward them, grabbing the somewhat female figure's shoulders, lifting them up and slamming them against the wall. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO RUBY!?" she asked, just as she heard the doors shut. She turned her head, raising an eyebrow as she saw the small cat lean up, it's paws pressing against one of the lower floor buttons.

She staggered back, pain erupting in her stomach as the figure kicked her back, sending her near the cat. She looked up, seeing them slowly stand, bright yellow eyes appearing for a split second before they disappeared. "I know you're here…" she held up her hands, looking around. She kept her eyes peeled for movement, for shifting in the air, kept her ears open for sounds… yet, she heard nothing. She saw no movement now that her senses had reverted to normal. "_Come on! The ONE time I really need it it stops!?_" once more, Yang cursed the fact she couldn't control her little episodes.

She staggered back, feeling something slamming her into the elevator's control panel, something gripping her neck. She struck out instinctively, hitting something back away from her. She jumped away, eyes flicking over to see her back had pressed most of the buttons. She looked around, trying to sense the invisible thing attacking her. "Why don't you show your face huh!? Too scared to fight me like a-" she was interrupted by a punch to the jaw, sending her reeling and launching a shell off toward the elevator. The cat yelped, dashing toward the other side. She looked around, smirking slightly as a plan formed in her head. "If I can't see you-"

**BANG!**

"Then you can't see _me_."

Yang stepped back, the lights blown out around them, unaware of the grave error she'd just made. She hadn't been able to see the cat ears on her assailants head, and thus hadn't realized that her opponent could see in the dark just fine. _She_, on the other hand, was now doubly blind. She couldn't physically _see_ S-16's camouflage, but she also couldn't see _period_. She was fighting blind now, while for her assailant everything was remarkably unchanged. Yang looked over, seeing the elevator zooming down for the lower floors.

"What do you want!? Who _are_ you!?" she held up her wrists reflexively, seeing sparks flying as something metal hit against them. Great. Not only was she unable to see her assailant, but now they had a _weapon_ too!? How was that fair!? She staggered back toward the buttons, eyes widening as she realized something. "You were sneaking in the elevator with me… you couldn't get in without me, could you?" Yang had an idea forming in the back of her head. It was risky, stupid, and the odds of it working were maybe one in a thousand.

Still... better odds than usual.

She struck in the general area she thought the creature was, only for S-16 to simply crouch down, watching as Yang started swinging at the air, hitting the wall a few times. She turned around as the elevator reached its first destination. She saw the figure crouched on the ground, having not bothered to change their camo. Yang struck like lightning, slamming her fist on their back. They disappeared, Yang's eyes wide as she looked up, seeing the figure standing in the doorway. She dashed ahead, the figure effortlessly grabbing her fist and flipping her over, sending her sliding across the floor.

She looked up, seeing the figure slowly walking toward her, at last dropping their camouflage. Yang saw the black hair, the yellow eyes, and the pale skin that her sister did. However, unlike her sister, she also noticed the cat ears, her clothes, and her weapon. Her only clothing seemed to be a skin-tight suit that clung to her skin, currently a dull gray color. Yang could _guess_ that the suit changed color with the background but… what about the girl's face and hair? How did _that_ change? It couldn't have been her semblance, could it? Wasn't her semblance that _other_ disappearing act she'd pulled?

Her weapon looked to be a sword with a ribbon attached to it, a small pistol built into the hilt. She leveled the blade at her, her eyes and face completely blank. Yang looked down at her gauntlets. She had four bullets, had to make them count. She stepped back a bit, watching the woman spin her blade around, aiming the now pistol at her. She held up her gauntlets, jumping back as the woman started firing at her. She blocked a few with her gauntlets before looking back, diving behind a small box nearby. She returned fire, launching a few shells toward her.

The woman flipped over them, jumping over her box before slamming her hands onto Yang's neck. Yang grabbed her hands, flipping her over and slamming S-16's head onto the ground, a yelp of pain flying from her. Yang jumped up, straddling the girl beneath her, pinning her arms above her head. She glared down at her, only for her eyes to widen as the girl pulled back, her legs sliding back through her own before slamming against her stomach, sending her flying back toward the elevator.

Yang bounced up, fists at the ready as the girl leaped up, landing on her feet as she drew her blade. She leaned back, calling the elevator back down… then she realized that when the girl had knocked her against the buttons, it'd more than likely pressed each one of them down. "_Okay Yang, no big deal, just hold her off…_" she thought, gazing directly at the girl. S-16 stared back at her. The two were locked in a standoff, both daring the other to make a move.

"DUCK!"

Yang dove to the ground almost on instinct, watching as bullets flew over her, the woman across from her dashing away from one of her clones, veering around the corner. She looked back, eyes wide as she saw the familiar figure walking toward her, submachine gun in hand. "Ren… who said you could crash the party?" she asked, a smirk on her face. If the situation weren't as serious as it was, Ren might have given her a little pity smile. Now though? He just glared at the corner, eyes waiting for S-16 to make her move. "Are you saying I'm not wanted here?" he could at the very _least_ manage that much of a comeback.

Yang shook her head, "Oh no! No, you're _very_ wanted, believe me, I'll take any help I can get… how did you-" she ducked down as he fired again, bullets slamming against the nearby wall. She wasn't sure if he saw movement or if he was just telling her now was _probably_ not the best time for conversation. Maybe it was a bit of both? Yang stepped back, making her way towards him.

**CRASH!**

**CRASH!**

**CRASH!**

"Uh, what was that?" Yang asked. It sounded like something had just slammed its way through the walls, with no disregard for collateral damage. That was supposed to be _her_ thing! Ren slowly looked up, eyes widening as the crashing continuing, seemingly getting closer. "We need to get out of here, _now_." he grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the elevator. She raised an eyebrow, both at his reaction and the fact the elevator was somehow here. Hadn't it been going all the way around? How had he… then again if someone _else_ had gotten in, she figured there must've been _some_ other entrance. "What do you mean, what's making that noise?"

**CRASH!**

Both teens turned as Ren pressed the elevator button, Yang's eyes wide as she saw the thick, steel wall embedded into the _other_ thick, steel wall. In the center of the hallway stood a figure, brilliant orange hair covering their scalp. They slowly stood, hammer held between their hands as they gazed up, brilliant blue eyes finding hers before the doors started shutting. She stepped back as she saw hands slam through the doors, the doors closing on them before they were slowly opened, sparking at the sides. "Heeeey there Ren, mind opening up for me?~" the voice was both somehow the most energetic, joyful, yet _horribly_ creepy thing Yang had ever heard.

She barely thought as she reared a hand back, her eyes widening, hearing enhancing, heart pumping. She barely noticed her hand was glowing with the power of her semblance, bright enough to illuminate the dark elevator. She slammed her hand against the girl, sending her flying back into the wall as the doors closed, the elevator slowly moving up. Yang turned to where she _guessed_ Ren was. "Explain. _Now_." Ren shook his head… well, not that Yang could _see_ it but, he still did.

"When we get to the safehouse, I'll explain everything. It's not safe to talk here."


End file.
